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[[File:Teaareas taiwansmap.jpg|thumb|right|The main tea areas of Taiwan]]

'''Taiwanese tea''' includes four main types: [[oolong tea]], [[black tea]], [[green tea]] and [[white tea]]. The earliest record of tea trees found in [[Taiwan]] is from 1717 in Shui Sha Lian ({{zh|t=水沙連|labels=no}}), present-day [[Yuchi, Nantou|Yuchi]] and [[Puli, Nantou|Puli]], [[Nantou County]].<ref>{{citation | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jcYoCIg5YuwC&pg=PA97 |chapter=Tea |title=Law and local society in late imperial China: northern Taiwan in the nineteenth century|author=Mark Anton Allee |pages=97 et seq |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-8047-2272-8}}</ref> Some of the teas retain the island country's former name, Formosa.

Oolongs grown in Taiwan account for about 20% of world production.<ref name=sectors>{{cite web|url=http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=27668&ctNode=1913&mp=999|publisher=Government of Taiwan|title=Agriculture - sectors|access-date=2011-03-19}}</ref>

==History==

According to [[Lian Heng]]'s ''General History of Taiwan'', in the late 18th century, Ke Chao ({{zh|t=柯朝|labels=no}}) brought some tea trees from [[Fujian]] into Taiwan and planted them in Jieyukeng ({{zh|t=櫛魚坑|labels=no}}), in the area of modern-day [[Ruifang District]], [[New Taipei City]]. However, transaction records indicate that tea business in [[Muzha District|Muzha]] area started as early as late 18th century. These records indicate that tea has been sold in Taiwan for more than two centuries.{{Citation needed|reason=Source of transaction records needed.|date=May 2019}}

In 1855, Lin Fengchi ({{zh|t=[[:zh:林鳳池|林鳳池]]|labels=no}}) brought the Qingxin oolong ({{zh|t=[[:zh:青心烏龍|青心烏龍]]|labels=no}}) plants from the [[Wuyi Mountains]] of Fujian to Taiwan and planted them in Dongding Village ([[Lugu, Nantou|Lugu]], [[Nantou County]]). This is said to be the origin of [[Tung-ting tea]].
[[File:台灣茶葉政府認證標章.jpg|300px|thumb|Taiwan tea government certification mark]]

After the [[Treaty of Tientsin]] was ratified in 1860 and the port of [[Tamsui]] was opened for trade, Scottish entrepreneur [[John Dodd (tea merchant)|John Dodd]] began working with tea merchants and farmers to promote Taiwanese tea, slowly developing it as an export item. Before long, tea ranked first among Taiwan's top three exports, ahead of sugar and camphor. The earliest teas exported during the Qing dynasty were oolong and baozhong tea, which began to be sold abroad in 1865 and 1881, respectively.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/culture/art_tea/ | access-date=March 17, 2011|title=The Art of Tea}}</ref>
[[File:Taiwan 2009 WuHe County Tea Plantation FRD 6216.jpg|thumb|right|A tea garden in [[Ruisui, Hualien]]]]

In 1867, Dodd started a tea company in Wanhua, Taipei and started to sell Taiwanese oolong tea to the world under the name "Formosa Oolong". Aware of British plans to develop a tea industry in [[India]], he successfully sought profit in developing an alternative tea product on the island.<ref name="Harney2008">{{cite book|author=Michael Harney|title=The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_fssUwVl-CoC&pg=PT68|access-date=16 March 2011|date=7 October 2008|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-59420-138-7|page=68}}</ref> Pouchong oolong was considered to be more flowery than Baihao oolong. Pouchong was exported under the name "Formosa Pouching". Other types of Taiwanese Oolongs include Dongding oolong ({{zh|t=凍頂烏龍茶|labels=no}}), white tip oolong ({{zh|t=白毫烏龍茶|labels=no}}), and baochong oolong ({{zh|t=包種烏龍茶|labels=no}}). Oolong tea was practically synonymous with Taiwanese tea in the late 19th century, and competitors in [[Ceylon]] sought a US market advantage by publishing materials emphasizing the use of human foot trampling during its production.<ref name=hu>{{cite book|author=Marcus Bourne Huish|title=Fifty years of new Japan (Kiakoku gojūnen shi)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mhjVAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA542|access-date=16 March 2011|year=1903|publisher=Smith, Elder, & Co.|pages=542}}</ref> This was countered by the mechanization of tea processing, publicized at the St. Louis Exhibition.<ref name=hu/>

After acquiring Taiwan the Japanese set out to turn their new colonial possession into “another [[Darjeeling tea|Darjeeling]].” Formal efforts began in 1906 with early production exported to Turkey and Russia. The [[Mitsui Corporation]] led development of the industry in the north however they found the region to be unsuitable for the major tea varieties from Assam and Sri Lanka. In the 1920s plantations of Indian tea varieties were developed in Yuchi Township, [[Nantou County]]. In 1926 the Yuchi Black Tea Research Institute was founded. The Research Institute focused on hybridizing commercial tea varieties with Taiwan's indigenous varieties. The development of the industry continued through World War II. After the war Yuchi Black Tea Research Institute head Kokichiro Arai staying on under the Kuomintang regime. The industry continued to expand until the 1960s before declining. After the [[1999 Jiji earthquake]] the government paid heavily to rebuild the industry.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cheung |first1=Han |title=Taiwan in Time: Taiwan’s Darjeeling |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2022/06/12/2003779748 |website=taipeitimes.com |publisher=Taipei Times |access-date=23 June 2022}}</ref>

China was subject to trade [[embargo]]s during the 1950s and 1960s, and during this time Taiwanese tea growers and marketers focused on existing, well-known varieties.<ref name=harney>{{cite book|author=Michael Harney|title=The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_fssUwVl-CoC&pg=PT57|access-date=16 March 2011|date=7 October 2008|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-59420-138-7|pages=57–58}}</ref> After the mainland's products became more widely available and the market for teas became more competitive, the Taiwanese tea industry changed its emphasis to producing special varieties of tea, especially of [[Oolong]].<ref name=harney/> The Government Tea Inspection Office grades teas into 18 categories ranging from standard to choice.<ref name=joel>{{cite book|author1=Joel Schapira|author2=David Schapira|author3=Karl Schapira|title=The book of coffee & tea: a guide to the appreciation of fine coffees, teas, and herbal beverages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_AooWASZVkC&pg=PA213|access-date=16 March 2011|date=15 March 1996|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-0-312-14099-1|pages=212–213}}</ref>

The government-supported Tea Research and Extension Station, established to promote Taiwanese tea in 1903, conducts research and experimentation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kminter.ttes.gov.tw/teais/internet/interneteng/main.jsp|publisher=Tea Research and Extension Station|title=Tea Research and Extension Station|access-date=2011-03-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720095640/http://kminter.ttes.gov.tw/teais/internet/interneteng/main.jsp|archive-date=2012-07-20}}</ref>

[[File:Teasteps2010btaiwan.jpg|thumb|450px|Primary Tea Processing (no roasting, scenting, or spicing)]]

==Tea areas==

Major tea growing areas:

* Northern Taiwan: Includes Hsindian, Pinglin, Muzha, Shenkeng, Shidian, Sanhsia, Nangang, and Yilan.
* Mid-central Area: Includes Miaoli and Hsinchu.
* Eastern Taiwan: Includes Taitung and Hualien.
* South-central Taiwan: Includes Nantou, Pingtung, Chiayi, Taichung, and Yunlin.
* High Mountain Regions: Includes Alishan, Yu Shan, Hsueh Shan, and Taitung mountain ranges.

==Oolong teas==
Taiwan's climate, along with the development of tea technology, has contributed to the production of high-quality teas. The best known ones include "Formosa Dongding oolong", "Formosa Alishan oolong", "Formosa Wenshan pouchong", "Formosa oriental beauty", "Formosa Shanlinxi oolong", and "Formosa jade oolong". According to the 1997 version of the [[Joy of Cooking]], Taiwanese oolongs are considered to be some of the finest by tea connoisseurs.<ref name="RombauerBecker1997">{{cite book|author1=Irma von Starkloff Rombauer|author2=Marion Rombauer Becker|author3=Ethan Becker|author4=Maria Guarnaschelli|title=Joy of cooking|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tbyW2LeXIOkC&pg=PA31|access-date=16 March 2011|date=5 November 1997|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-684-81870-2|page=31}}</ref> The US cooks [[Julee Rosso]] and [[Sheila Lukins]] describe three Taiwanese oolongs as the "[[Champagne (wine)|Champagne]] of tea".<ref name="RossoLukins2007">{{cite book|author1=Julee Rosso|author2=Sheila Lukins|author3=Michael McLaughlin|title=Silver Palate Cookbook 25th Anniversary Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ddutFgo5AUC&pg=PA406|access-date=19 March 2011|date=5 March 2007|publisher=Workman Publishing|isbn=978-0-7611-4597-4|page=406}}</ref> Their special quality may be due to unique growing conditions.<ref name=joel/>

Oolong is harvested five times per year in Taiwan, between April and December.<ref name=joel/> The July and August crops generally receive the highest grades.<ref name=joel/>

===Dongding Tea===

This tea, grown on Dongding (凍頂) mountain in [[Nantou County]], was brought to Taiwan during the 19th century from the mainland's [[Wuyi Mountains]].<ref name=sinica>{{cite web|url=http://www.sinica.edu.tw/tit/culture/0996_Oolong.html|publisher=[[Academia Sinica]]|title=Lost in the Fog:Touring Tungting Oolong Country|access-date=2011-03-18}}</ref> Its special qualities have been attributed to an almost continuous fog.<ref name=sinica/> Teas harvested in the spring are entered in a competition and the winners go for premium prices, fetching US$2,000 for a 600-gram package during the 1990s.<ref name=sinica/> Dongding oolong undergoes less oxidization than most oolongs.<ref name=sectors/> A 40-minute roasting over charcoal contributes to its flavor, which also has "nutty, caramel, and chestnut" elements.<ref name=mac/><ref name="HeissHeiss2010">{{cite book|author1=Mary Lou Heiss|author2=Robert J. Heiss|title=The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook: A Guide to the World's Best Teas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILyE6Wm_mvsC&pg=PA103|access-date=18 March 2011|date=30 March 2010|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|isbn=978-1-58008-804-6|page=103}}</ref>

Tongding Oolong tea is a semi-oxidized tea with a hemispherical shape, created through a baking process. The tea leaves are rolled into round balls through multiple kneading and undergo post-oxidization, resulting in a more pronounced flavor profile for Oolong tea.

===Pouchong (or Baozhong) Tea===

Pouchong oolong, also called light oolong, is a lightly oxidized tea, twist shape, with floral notes, and usually not roasted, somewhere between green tea and what is usually considered oolong tea ({{zh|t=烏龍|p=wǔlóng|l=dark dragon}}), though often classified with the latter due to its lack of the sharper green tea flavours. ''Pouchong'' refers to its paper wrapping.<ref name="ChowKramer1990">{{cite book|author1=Kit Boey Chow|author2=Ione Kramer|title=All the tea in China|url=https://archive.org/details/allteainchina00chow|url-access=registration|access-date=17 March 2011|date=September 1990|publisher=China Books|isbn=978-0-8351-2194-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/allteainchina00chow/page/150 150]}}</ref>

===Oriental Beauty (Dongfang Meiren) Tea===

White tip oolong is very fruity in taste and got the name "[[dong fang mei ren tea|Oriental Beauty]]" from Queen Elizabeth II in the 1960s, thus "Formosa oolong" became popular in the western world for "oriental beauty" ({{zh|t=東方美人茶|labels=no}}). Along with Lishan oolong, it was one of the most costly exported Taiwanese teas during the 2000s.<ref name=mac>{{cite book|author=Phil Macdonald|title=Taiwan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQeVFgYaHjIC&pg=PT97|access-date=16 March 2011|date=20 November 2007|publisher=National Geographic Books|isbn=978-1-4262-0145-5|page=97}}</ref> Its unique flavor originates in part from the inclusion of insect eggs and egg sacs during harvesting, contributing an element that has been described as "earthier and more robust" than [[Earl Grey tea]].<ref name=mac/> The acceptance of this flavor has led to tolerance of the presence of insects and [[Organic farming|organic growing practices]] for this tea.<ref name=mac/>

===Iron Goddess (Tie Guanyin) Tea===

This variety originated on the mainland, and is associated with a legend in which a tea grower found a unique tea plant near an iron statue of [[Kuan Yin]].<ref name=Martin>{{cite book|author=Laura C. Martin|title=Tea: the drink that changed the world|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DJ2j_bX6WTUC&pg=PA219|access-date=17 March 2011|date=10 April 2007|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|isbn=978-0-8048-3724-8|pages=219–220}}</ref> Taiwan Muzha Iron Goddess tea ({{zh|t=木柵鐵觀音|labels=no}}), also known as Tie Guan Yin, is a traditional oolong. It is roasted and has a stronger taste and a roast nutty character; the tea liquid is reddish brown. Muzha Iron Goddess tea is different from Anxi Iron Goddess tea, which is not roasted and green in character.

===High Mountain (Gao Shan) Teas===

Also called Alpine oolong, grown at altitudes of 1,000 meters or above.
; Lishan ({{zh|t=梨山|labels=no}}) oolong
Grown at altitudes above 2,200 meters, was the costliest Taiwanese tea during the 2000s, sometimes commanding prices of over $200 USD per 600 grams.<ref name=mac/>
; Dayuling ({{zh|t=大禹嶺|labels=no}}) oolong
Grown at altitudes above 2,500 meters. Some people{{who|date=March 2016}} call it the king of Taiwan high mountain tea. Due to the limited production of this tea, the price per 500 grams is usually around $200 to $500 USD. Because of its popularity, there are unscrupulous businessmen selling fake/unqualified tea using Dayuling's brand name.
; Ali Mountain ({{zh|t=阿里山|labels=no}}), or other high mountains.
This is the most widely known general name for lightly oxidized oolong tea, much of it picked in winter and therefore termed “winter tea”. Among the oolongs grown on Ali Mountain, tea merchants tend to stress the special qualities of the gold lily ({{zh|t=金萱|w=Chin-Hsuan|p=Jin Xuan}}) tea variety, which is the name of a cultivar developed in Taiwan in the 1980s. The oolong tea made with this cultivar has a particular milky flavor. However, in some regions, such as where Alishan zhulu tea is grown, the most prized are the ones made with the Qing Xin cultivar. Tea made with this cultivar has a floral and ripe-fruity aroma.

===Osmanthus Oolong===

An oolong scented with [[osmanthus]] flowers, the tea is also packaged with some flowers added after the scenting process. This tea is roasted, with floral and warming notes.

==Black tea==
Black Jade Taiwan Tea [[Tea Research and Extension Station|TTES]] #18 is a cultivar developed by the [[Taiwan Tea Research and Experiment Station]] during the 1990s.<ref name=tt18>{{cite web|url=http://www.tsps.org.tw/document/paper/new/086%20Morphological%20Comparisons%20of%20Taiwan%20Native%20Wild%20Tea%20Plant%20(Camellia%20sinensis%20(L.)%20O.%20Kuntze%20forma%20formosensis%20Kitamura)%20and%20Two%20Closely%20Related%20Taxa%20Using%20Numerical%20Methods.pdf|title=Morphological Comparisons of Taiwan Native Wild Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze forma formosensis Kitamura) and Two Closely Related Taxa Using Numerical Methods|publisher=[[Taiwania]], 52(1): 70-83, 2007|access-date=2011-03-18}}</ref> The now popular tea is a hybrid of ''[[Camellia sinensis]]'' v. assamica and a native variety (''Camellia sinensis forma formosensis''), and is said to have notes of honey, cinnamon, and mint.<ref name=tt18/> The tea's natural sweetness is a result of the fostered relationship with insects. The native Leafhopper (Jacobiasca formosana) spends its time throughout the growing season laying eggs and biting the tea plant, which causes the plant to produce two compounds, monoterpene diol and hotrienol. This defense mechanism, in addition to Leafhopper eggs, results in this Taiwanese Black tea's unique flavor.

==Green tea==
Green tea, such as Dragon Well ([[Longjing tea]]) and Green Spiral ([[Biluochun]]), are grown in [[Sanxia District]], [[New Taipei City]].

==Bubble tea==
[[Bubble tea]] originated in Taiwan during the 1980s and is now popular worldwide.<ref name="Flammang2009">{{cite book|author=Janet A. Flammang|title=The taste for civilization: food, politics, and civil society|url=https://archive.org/details/tasteforciviliza0000flam|url-access=registration|access-date=18 March 2011|date=20 October 2009|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-07673-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/tasteforciviliza0000flam/page/220 220]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Taiwanese tea culture]]
* [[Tea Research and Extension Station]] Taiwan TRES
*[[Fo Shou tea]]
* Heike Matthiesen: „Taiwanesischer Tee. Teesorten, ihre Anbaugebiete sowie die jüngere Entwicklung des Teemarktes.“ Berlin 2005, 1. Auflage August 2020, grin.com: {{ISBN|978-3-346-21601-4}} (Ebook), {{ISBN|978-3-346-21602-1}} (Buch).

==References==
{{Reflist}}
18. ^ Heike Matthiesen: „Taiwanesischer Tee. Teesorten, ihre Anbaugebiete sowie die jüngere Entwicklung des Teemarktes.“ Berlin 2005, 1. Auflage August 2020, grin.com: {{ISBN|978-3-346-21601-4}} (Ebook), {{ISBN|978-3-346-21602-1}} (Buch).

==External links==
*[http://www.taipeitea.org.tw 台北市茶商業同業公會]
*[http://seed.agron.ntu.edu.tw/IPR/GI-Formosa%20Tea.pdf 預見，行銷全球的未來！- 以Formosa 之名行銷農產品於世界,農訓雜誌，2006，23(7): 22-25]
*[http://www.oolongteainfo.com/taiwan-oolong-tea/ Taiwanese Oolong Tea]
*{{cite news |author1=Han Cheung |title=Taiwan in Time: Taiwan’s Darjeeling |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2022/06/12/2003779748 |access-date=12 June 2022 |work=Taipei Times |date=12 June 2022}}
{{Teas}}
{{Taiwanese cuisine}}
{{Taiwan topics}}

[[Category:Taiwanese tea| ]]

Taiwanese tea - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article